Inside The Bills

Bills QB EJ Manuel was scheduled to talk to the media prior to hopping on a bus back to the team’s Pittsburgh hotel after practice. He was making his way over to the media across the field when he spotted Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin by himself and made a detour to share a few words.

The two football men are both from the coastal Virginia area where a bounty of NFL talent has been cultivated over the last 40 years. Tomlin was born in Hampton, Virginia about a 45 minute drive from Virginia Beach where EJ Manuel grew up.

“I’m very good friends with Coach Tomlin,” said Manuel. “He’s from the same area I’m from and I saw him a few weeks ago before I reported to training camp.”

Knowing the two would be meeting up with their teams together at St. Vincent college later this summer Tomlin promised Manuel that he would have his defense show him and the Bills offense whatever defensive look he wanted. True to his word Tomlin reiterated his promise to Manuel when they met on the field again Wednesday.

“Any look you want you just tell me and we’ll give it to you,” Tomlin said to Manuel.